North Port commissioner wants to oust advisory board member

Friday

Sep 6, 2013 at 5:27 PM

Wendy Namack says her criticism of the commission is the cause.

Dale White

When civic activist Wendy Namack saw the agenda for the North Port City Commission meeting on Monday afternoon, the vocal critic of several commissioners noticed that she is to be a topic for discussion.

Commissioner Rhonda DiFranco intends to ask her elected colleagues to join her in ousting Namack from the city's Charter Review Advisory Board.

“It's not unexpected because they are not happy with people who don't agree with them,” Namack said.

Namack says she will not attend the meeting or try to argue with DiFranco and any other commissioners who vote to dismiss her.

“I have volunteered to serve and apparently my service is no longer considered valid,” Namack said.

Namack has criticized DiFranco, Commissioner Cheryl Cook (who also was elected last fall) and Mayor Linda Yates for decisions such as their stance on Warm Mineral Springs.

In December, Yates, Cook and DiFranco rejected a proposal for the city and Sarasota County to negotiate with a developer to enhance the springs as a resort. The city and county bought the popular swimming destination in December 2010.

Yates, Cook and DiFranco say they do not want a private business to profit from the springs, which they would prefer be preserved as a park.

Economic development interests in North Port, with which investment counselor Namack is closely allied, have pushed for the city and county to broaden the publicly owned springs' appeal as a tourist attraction and jobs generator.

They have accused the mayor and new commissioners, who this summer dissolved the city's Business and Economic Development Advisory Board, of anti-business views and of shunning entities such as the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Corp. Of North Port.

Yet many residents support Yates, Cook and DiFranco, saying the city leaders do not want to be obligated to special interests and are trying to make the city more fiscally responsible.

In January, Namack, Susan Lord (North Port's Citizen of the Year for 2011) and Woodland Middle School teacher Beth Mayberry led a petition drive in a failed attempt to convince Yates, Cook and DiFranco to reverse their decision about the springs.

Namack, Lord and Mayberry formed a grass-roots group, the North Port Advocacy Alliance. They said the alliance will register voters, advocate “quality of life” improvements, insist on “transparency in government” and promote economic development.

DiFranco did not return a phone message from the Herald-Tribune.

DiFranco's agenda item states that members of the Charter Review Advisory Board serve “at the pleasure” of the City Commission and can be removed by a majority of commissioners. She specifically calls for the removal of Namack.

Namack has served seven years on the advisory board and her current term expires in September 2014.

She does not think any action she has taken as an advisory board member motivated DiFranco to seek her removal. She believes the action stems from her overall criticism of DiFranco, Yates and Cook.

“America was built on a foundation of freedom of speech,” Namack said. “To see some censured for expressing it is a concern.”

If she is removed from the advisory board, Namack said she will continue to be involved in the community.

“There are many organizations and committees on a regional level vying for my limited time availability and I intend to allocate time appropriately,” Namack said.